And the ogre wins!

Oh, yeah!

The ogre wins!  More specifically the kids won, they got the work done.  We aren't at 100% quite, but the ones who didn't turn it in are failing all classes and have issues beyond work ethic and a desire to be in school, so I while I won't give up on them, I have decided not to take their lack personally and am instead celebrating the vast majority who made the change and GOT THE WORK IN!!!! 

We are finishing up the Odyssey.  It is awesome to see them making the connections and comparisons between Sam and Dean and Odysseus.  They are really getting into this idea of "The Hero's Journey" and the process of Epics in general. 

While I am excited to go to Chicago for the NCTE (both to see it, as a presenter and cause I get to see my beautiful brand new nephew who won't be a month old...  SQUEEE!) it kills me to leave the kids.  It's funny, because this is a new thing.

As a teacher I hate missing school.  I mean emergency lesson plans, substitute teacher roulette (those of you that are teachers know what I mean) and the clean-up afterwards.  Not fun.  Last year I had the additional stress of just really difficult classes (behavior wise) and therefore also didn't like to leave them because of the professional clean-up.  This year, though, I don't want to miss....  my kids.  Watching them learn.  Talking to them about this and seeing them get excited.  Other teachers talk about mental health days and I understand (and even remember) but I can't imagine missing for anything short of death, a drama competition or the NCTE (and my nephew.)

Who knew Supernatural could tame an ogre?  (And when I said to my students, today, "sorry I was such and ogre about this..."  One of my most difficult piped up, "But you aren't an ogre, you're Miss Williams, and you just wanted what's best for us...")

Be still my heart.